Circline lamp carton

ABSTRACT

A carton for packaging a circline fluorescent lamp comprises a single rectangular piece of paperboard scored to provide foldover flaps at opposite ends. The flaps have arcuate cuts along which small sections are removed and are scored to form T-shaped locking tabs. The lamp is laid flat on the board which forms the bottom panel, the flaps are folded over through two right angles to provide top panel portions, and the tabs are further folded in through two right angles and the ends tucked under the circular lamp to lock the lamp and the carton together.

United States Patent .1191 Fortlage [451 Oct. 7, 1975 [54] CIRCLINE LAMP CARTON [75] Inventor: Donald J. Fortlage, South Euclid,

Ohio

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Schenectady, NY.

[22] Filed: Aug. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 384,980

[52] US. Cl. 206/303; 206/418; 206/491; 229/39 B [51] Int. C1. B65D 85/42 [58] Field of Search 206/303, 304, 521, 328, 206/334, 320, 418, 446, 493, 482, 396, 397,

491; 229/41 C, 39 B, 34 HW, 87 H; 248/50;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,156 8/1943 Scott 229/34 HW 2,620,062 12/1952 Schu1er 206/320 2,700,099 1/1955 Pistey et a1. 248/50 2,955,738 10/1960 Bacchus et al..... 229/41 C 2,973,858 3/1961 Laneve et a1. 206/396 2,973,860 3/1961 Cohen 206/482 3,337,113 8/1967 Harrison 206/397 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 619.154 3/1949 United Kingdom 229/87 H Primary ExaminerWilliam T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmErnest W. Legree; Lawrence R. Kempton; Frank L. Neuhauscr [57] ABSTRACT A carton for packaging a circline fluorescent lamp comprises a single rectangular piece of paperboard scored to provide fold-over flaps at opposite ends. The flaps have arcuate cuts along which small sections are removed and are scored to form T-shaped locking tabs. The lamp is laid flat on the board which forms the bottom panel, the flaps are folded over through two right angles to provide top panel portions, and the tabs are further folded in through two right angles and the ends tucked under the circular lamp to lock the lamp and the carton together.

4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure US. Patent Oct. 7,1975

CIRCLINE CARTON The invention'relates to a carton orpackage for a fragile article of ring-like or toroidal shape such as a circular fluroescent lamp, commonly known as a circline fluorescent lamp.

Circline lamps have for many years been packaged in rectangular cartons comprising a paperboard wrapper and sleeve. The wrapper was folded around the lamp, and lamp and wrapper together were then slid into a sleeve of rectangular cross section. Such a carton requires practically four thicknesses of paperboard and is relatively expensive.

Another type of packaging which has been used is a flat heavy wrapping paper bag lined internally with fibrous packing. While such packaging is adequate to protect the contents, it is not too attractive and it takes up an excessive amount of shelf or counter space. Also it does not expose the contents to view nor does it make inspection easy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved carton or packaging for a circline fluorescent lamp which is economical of material and easy to manufacture and which is readily set up to receive and support the lamp. Additional desired features are exposure of the lamp to view to permit inspection, and adequate protection of the lamp against bumps and shocks from handling.

A carton embodying the invention comprises a single rectangular piece of stock such as paperboard, preferably somewhat wider than the lamp and long enough to wrap around one side and two edges of the lamp and partly around the other side. The piece is scored to provide fold-over flaps at opposite ends. The flaps have arcuate cuts terminating at the outer edge with small sections removed along the cuts to form T-shaped locking tabs. Score lines permit the tabs to be readily folded out of the flaps. To package the lamp, it is laid flat on the piece which forms the bottom panel; the flaps are folded over through two right angles to provide top panel portions; the tabs are further folded in through two right angles and the ends finally tucked under the circular lamp to lock the lamp and carton together.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING The FIGURE is a perspective view of a carton embodying the invention with a circline fluorescent lamp shown positioned within the carton. The erected carton is shown in solid lines and the blank from which it is formed is shown in phantom by light lines.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, a carton embodying the invention is formed from a single piece or blank 1 of fairly stifi sheet material which can be scored to fold readily along one direction. A suitable material is double-faced corrugated paperboard known as B-flute and having 51 flutes or corrugations per foot. The board should be slightly Wider than the diameter of the outer circle of the lamp in order to provide edge protection, and should be long enough to wrap around one face and two edges of the lamp and extend partly over the other face.

,The blank is transverselyscored at 2,3 and 4,5 toprovide raised fold-over flaps 6,7 at opposite ends. The

" flaps are cut alongarcuate lines and 9 extending from innerscore lines-.10,1l to-thegouter edges. The score lines 10,11 and intermediate 'score lines 12,13 extend parallel to the outer edges and small curved sections are removed at 14,15 from between the score lines to form T-shaped locking tabs 16, 17 which can be folded out of the flaps. The arcuate cuts 8, 9 preferably correspond to the curve of the inner circle of the lamp.

The carton is set up and the lamp packaged and locked in by a single operation. The lamp 18 is laid flat on the central portion of the paperboard which forms the bottom panel, and the flaps are then folded over through two right angles to provide top panel portions as indicated at 6,7'. The T-shaped tabs 16,17 are further folded in through two right angles and the ends tucked in under the circular lamp. The wings of the tab must be bent momentarily into conformance with the curving surface of the inside circle of the lamp in the process of folding around. Once the tabs are tucked in, they spring back to their natural flat state between the lamp and the back panel. This serves to lock the tabs in place so that the lamp is securely fastened into the carton. In the drawing, the lower tab is shown in an intermediate position at 17 with the Wings 19 bent up in the process of folding around the lamp, and in its final tucked-under position at 17".

The carton of the invention utilizes a minimal quantity of paperboard yet provides very good protection for the lamp. The paperboard projects laterally beyond the lamp on both open sides and the lamp is securely fastened to it so that it cannot move and overhang an edge. Thus the lamp is protected on all sides. Should the carton be dropped, an edge or a corner would probably be crushed but the lamp would remain protected and unharmed. The carton exposes the contents to view and facilitates examination of the lamp. It has the advantage of a box shape, that is rectangularity and square comers, to permit stacking, and is compact to avoid waste of shelf or counter space. Finally it provides convenient flat surfaces, namely the front face of the back panel within the inside circle, the front of the flaps 6,7' and the top and bottom sides for the printing of information and art work.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the US. is:

1. A self-locking carton for packaging a fragile article of toroidal shape comprising:

a rectangular piece of flat stock having at each end two spaced score lines extending transversely from side edge to side edge to provide raised fold-over flaps at opposite ends;

said flaps having inner and intermediate score lines extending parallel to the outer edge up to arcuate cuts extending from the inner score line to the outer edge, said arcuate cuts corresponding approximately to the inner curvature of said toroidal article, small sections of stock being removed between the inner and intermediate score lines next to the arcuate cuts to form T-shaped locking tabs foldable out of said flaps;

said article being laid flat on the stock forming the bottom panel, the flaps being progressively folded over through two right angles to provide top panel portions and the tabs being further folded in through two additional right angles with the ends tucked under the article to lock article and carton 3. A carton as in claim 1 wherein said flat stock is togetherdouble-faced corrugated paperboard.

2. A carton as in claim 1 where said piece of stock is slightly wider than the diameter of the outer circle of the toroidal article in order that the carton project lat- 5 Crescent lamperally beyond the article.

4. A carton as in claim 1 combined with a circline flu- 

1. A self-locking carton for packaging a fragile article of toroidal shape comprising: a rectangular piece of flat stock having at each end two spaced score lines extending transversely from side edge to side edge to provide raised fold-over flaps at opposite ends; said flaps having inner and intermediate score lines extending parallel to the outer edge up to arcuate cuts extending from the inner score line to the outer edge, said arcuate cuts corresponding approximately to the inner curvature of said toroidal article, small sections of stock being removed between the inner and intermediate score lines next to the arcuate cuts to form T-shaped locking tabs foldable out of said flaps; said article being laid flat on the stock forming the bottom panel, the flaps being progressively folded over through two right angles to provide top panel portions and the tabs being further folded in through two additional right angles with the ends tucked under the article to lock article and carton together.
 2. A carton as in claim 1 where said piece of stock is slightly wider thAn the diameter of the outer circle of the toroidal article in order that the carton project laterally beyond the article.
 3. A carton as in claim 1 wherein said flat stock is double-faced corrugated paperboard.
 4. A carton as in claim 1 combined with a circline fluorescent lamp. 